English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

1Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.

2And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

2Jacob said when he saw them, "This is God's camp." So he named that place Mahanaim.

3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,

3Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

4instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.

4He also commanded them saying, "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob, "I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now;

5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

5I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight."'"

6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.”

6The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;

8thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

8for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape."

9And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’

9Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,'

10I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

10I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.

11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children.

11"Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.

12But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

12"For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'"

13So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,

13So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau:

14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

15thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

15thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

16These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”

16He delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on before me, and put a space between droves."

17He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’

17He commanded the one in front, saying, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?'

18then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”

18then you shall say, 'These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.'"

19He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him,

19Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him;

20and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

20and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."

21So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

21So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

22Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

23He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.

23He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

24And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

24Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

26Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

27And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”

27So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."

28Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

28He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."

29Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.

29Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.

30So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

30So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved."

31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.

32Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.

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